Question: What is Freemasonry and what should the Christian response to this organization be? Answer: To some, Free-Masonry is a Satan-inspired conspiratorial organization of secret anti-government, anti-Christian men, and to others it is a fraternal social organization very similar to the Elks and the Lion’s club. The truth lies somewhere in between, but for the […]
Question: I believe that the Bible is the word of God and is the greatest text ever written. It is 100% accurate and reliable. That being said, are there any other inspired texts that were written in the first century that one can look at and research and that are reliable? I’m asking about other […]
Is Baptism a Work of Salvation? I have repeatedly gotten questions at my web site asking about where baptism fits into Christianity. These questions usually come from people who have been influenced by the prevailing theological and doctrinal landscape within evangelical Christianity—primarily from reformed theology and Calvinism. The premise of these questions involves two aspects. […]
Question: One philisophical principle is that in a set of hypotheses, the one with less assumptions should be validated. Most of my friends think that materialism is the worldview with the least assumptions since it only requires that we assume the physical world can be perceived, measured and understood by our human senses. These materialist friends say […]
Dr. John Oakes taught a five hour workshop on the Book of John for the San Diego Church of Christ April 24, 2016. The class focuses on what makes John unique–especially John’s use of the Jewish festivals to tell us about Jesus. Gospel of John Notes Gospel of John PPT John Workshop Audio 1 John...
Dan Conder and Dr. John Oakes taught a six-hour class on Understading Islam at UC San Diego May 21, 2016. Topics include History of Islam, Life of Muhammad, Qur’an and Hadith, Apologetics and Islam, Jihad and Islam, Modern Islam. Apologetics and Islam notes John Understanding Islam PPT John Understanding Islam Audio 1 Understanding Islam Audio...
Question: I would be interested in hearing your notes / commentary on Genesis 1-11. From my research, there appears to be a lot of interpretation going into the transalation of our English language bibles. A superficial reading of our English language Bibles in Genesis would seem to support a young earth and a global cataclysmic […]
Dr. John Oakes is teaching a class in Manila Jan 22, 2016, on the need for apologetics in the post-Christian world, focusing in on comparison of the Christian to other world views. Need For Apologetics PPT Need for Apologetics Audio
Dr. John Oakes taught on Calvinism–its history, basic theology and reasons to reject its basic tenets–in Manila Jan 23, 2016. The notes and power point are included. Answering Calvinism Notes Answering Calvinism PPT Due to technical glitches, only part I and part IV are available in high quality Calvinism I Audio Calvinism IV Audio but the […]
Question: Can you explain Ecc 3:1-8? Answer: This may be one of the top ten famous passages in the Bible. It was popularized by the rock group The Byrds in the 60’s. We have to look at the context of this passage. Solomon is not discussing deep theology here. He is presenting what he learned […]
Question: I was wondering what is the true purpose of prayer when we ask things of Him? I know God commands us to pray and to continue communication with Him through this privilege given by Jesus Christ, but does it actually change what God thinks or what happens on Earth? For example if I was […]
Question: In Romans 2:1 and in many other places the Bible says that we should not judge each other. We should not condemn each other. How exactly am I to understand any difference between condemnation and mentoring–between condemnation and the attempt to save a brother or sister from the consequences of their choice? I heard […]
Question: I have a question about Isaiah 59:1-2. I have heard it taught that the last words of verse 2, “your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear”, means that when people who are not Christians pray, their prayers were not heard, even if they are sincerely religious. I always […]
Question: How can baptism be a saving act? I was raised in a Presbyterian church and attended a Calvinist school (I was not a Christian at the time). So the idea of anything beyond the cross (namely baptism) being a requisite for entering heaven has been troubling for me. Initially, I thought that baptism was […]
Dr. John Oakes traveled to SE Asia for three weeks. The report is below. Bangkok Jan 6-8 This is my third visit to this world-class city of over ten million people. Thailand is a majority Buddhist country. I see signs banning the use of Buddha symbols at the airport on the way in, as this […]
Question: How are we to understand 1 Peter 4:6? Answer: This passage is one of the few in the New Testament which are relatively difficult to know for sure the exact meaning. In the context, Peter is talking about the suffering of Christ on our behalf (1 Pet 4:1-2) and about our salvation when we […]
Dr. John Oakes is on a teaching trip to Bangkok, Udon, Phnom Penh, Siem Riap, Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) and Manila for the next three weeks. He will be posting pictures and a report, as well as lesson outlines and audio every couple of days. Contact him if you are in one of these cities […]
Question: I am trying to share the Gospel message to a Muslim, and I need help in responding to his email. Here is his response: [Editor’s note: Because there are so many questions here, the answers are interspersed among the different questions. The questions are in italics. J. O.] God created human being, showed them […]
Question: I have just finished to read all the NEW TESTAMENT and I have some questions about some points. 1 Can you explain how a death ( Jesus’ death on the Cross) can forgive the sins of any human being even many years after? I think it is tough to understand and its a matter […]
Question: Did Paul predict the return of Jesus during his life time? Answer: The answer is no, Paul did not predict when Jesus would return. There is not verse in the New Testament in which he even hints at a date for the return of Jesus. However, it is easy to get a sense from […]
Question: If a person was locked alone in a room with a Bible, and knew nothing about Church history, would they really come out of this room as a cessationist? I have trouble believing this statement. I am attaching a debate link that I found useful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLOSesbHxQr2ShoYe9sgnTZ1er9GGYz5F0&v=c0biTwj635I&app=desktop [editor’s note: the questioner is using the word […]
Question: The OT describes the prophecies regarding the coming of the Messiah. The doubt I have comes from the question, did God the Father command Israel to worship this Messiah? Or on the other hand, did he only predict the coming of a great prophet who will teach Israel his way (like the old prophets […]
Question: What is your take on supernatural biblical scholars (like Tom Horn ) who spend a great deal of time, research, field trips etc into writing books, documentaries, and then go on to Christian tv shows using current events to corroborate with the bilblical/ extra bibilical prophecies? Some of the stronger claims they allege is […]
Dr. John Oakes is teaching a series of classes on the Book of Acts for the Singles ministry of the San Diego Church of Christ on Thursday evenings beginning September 3 at the Mission Center of Hope. Notes, power point and audio are attached. Acts Class Notes Acts Class PPT Acts Audio Part I Acts […]
Dr. John Oakes gave a sermon on Malachi, focusing on our covenant relationship with God and giving our best to God in San Diego 12/6/15. Notes, PPT and audio are attached. Malachi Sermon Notes Malachi Sermon Audio Malachi Sermon PPT
Question: Is Nehemiah Chapter 12 verse 10-11 written by an author other than Nehemiah? [editor’s note: see the follow-up question below] Answer: I am not sure why you think, in particular, that Nehemiah 12:10-11 might be written by someone other than Nehemiah. Can you please write me back, explaining why you are unsure of the […]
Pedro Figueroa and Dr. John Oakes taught a six-week class on the Book of Romans at the Mission Center of Hope in San Diego on six consecutive Saturdays, beginning October 3rd. The notes, power point and audio are posted here. Romans Notes John Romans Notes Pedro Romans PPT Pedro Romans PPT John Romans Audio […]
Dr. John Oakes taught a six hour class on Calvinism. Unfortunately, only part I and part IV recorded successfully, but we will eventually post the entire class. Calvinism I Audio Calvinism IV Audio Answering Calvinism Notes...
Dr. John Oakes taught a number of lessons which were translated into Thai, Khmer and Vietnamese. They were classes on Hebrews, on Living by Faith, on Who is Jesus, on the Holy Spirit and more. Hebrews Thai Part I Hebrews Thai audio Part II Evidence for Jesus Bangkok Audio Hebrews Batambang I audio Hebrews Batambang...
Dr. John Oakes is teaching a series on the Holy Spirit for the staff of the San Diego Church of Christ. The Holy Spirit I Holy Spirit II Holy Spirit in Acts Audio Holy Spirit Class Notes...
Question: The book of Ezra mentions that after Artaxerxes stopped the rebuilding of the temple that it began again during the reign of Darius. Is this Darius II that reigned after Artexerxes or is this Darius I and the Ahasuerus and Artexerxes mentioned in chapter 4 Cambyses and Smerdis? This is all a bit confusing. […]
Question: Thank you for all your articles and all questions and answers! I have a question I’m interested in. Often, when people leave the Church, they say that they are leaving the Church, but not away from God. They are sure that they are continue to live with God, even if their “journey” is delaying […]
Question: I wanted to ask you a question about several verses in the book of Jude. In Jude 1:14-15 Jude references an apocryphal book called 1 Enoch. I was wondering what you thought about this reference to the book of Enoch. And do you think that this might hint at an apocryphal book as being […]
Question: Thank you for the interesting site. And I have fond memories of your lessons at Novosibirsk in 2011. In one of your answers you have written: “It is God’s will for my children to be saved, and my faithful, unremitting, unselfish prayer will increase the chances that they will be saved.” https://evidenceforchristianity.org/if-we-pray-for-things-that-are-gods-will-mark-1123-24-can-we-assume-that-he-will-answer-that-prayer/ What passages […]
Question: I was wondering if it possible for a man to live without lust? Wherever we go we are bombarded by sexually explicit images and texts. Being a woman I think men have more trouble controlling their lust compared to a woman. Answer: This is an interesting question to come from a woman. I believe […]
Question: I am reading your book on Mormonism [editor’s note: available at www.ipibooks.com] and I came across the section about Mormon belief and one of the beliefs was baptism for the dead. Do they take this from the 1 Corinthian 15:29 verse? What does the verse mean? Answer: Mormons do not get baptism for the […]
[editor’s note: This is a follow-up from an inquiry last week. The original question is below to give context to the concern of the one who asked. As you read the question, bear in mind it is a follow-up to the original, which is if Luke grossly exaggerated the number of converts in Jerusalem in […]
Question: War or peace? Exodus 15:3 says The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name. Romans 15:33 says Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Can God be both a man of war and a man of peace? This question is so important I feel because it deals […]
Question: Dr. Oakes, I am reading a book for one of my classes called “the rise of Christianity” and the author makes a point that if the early church had well over 3,000 adherents then a significant of the population in Jerusalem would have been Christian. He claims that there is no evidence of this […]
Question: Is Foxe’s book called Foxe’s Book of Martyrs historically and biblically accurate? I was interested in purchasing it, and wanted to know what you thought about it. Answer: Foxe’s book of martyrs is mostly accurate, but it is extremely biased against the Catholic Church. The coverage of them martyrdoms in the early Church is generally good. […]
Question: Someone asked me “With all other religions in circulation why do you feel that only Christianity is the way?” How can you prove that it is the only way? I couldn’t prove this with scripture because this was a man who didn’t believe in scripture. So I ask how can a young man show […]
Question: God is, in principle, against human sacrifice: the religious ritual killing of innocents to appease God, or any gods, for that matter. So it would be likewise true that God is, in principle, against anyone’s ever *thinking* that God is ever in favor of such sacrifice. So, if God caused Abraham to think that […]
Question: For my philosophy class, I am writing a paper on God and free will. I am trying to prove that free will exists, and that having free will supports the existence of God. Because of this freedom, evil and God can coexist. Therefore, God can be omnibenevolent while evil exists because of free will. […]
Question: I have of course been exposed to a lot of apologetic “reasoning” and would like to know what your thoughts are on a moral world without religion. Do you feel morality can’t be derived from secularism? Or is religion the only way? I look forward to your response. What about gap arguments? Answer: Atheists […]
Question: Why do most scientist reject the possibility of God`s existence? Why do they embrace evolution? Answer: Two really good questions! First, it is simply not true that most scientists reject the possibility of the existence of God. Many do, but more do not. This is a stereotype which is created largely because the atheist […]
Dr. John Oakes taught a six hour class on Calvinism–the history and theological problems. It focuses in on the reason this led to the twin false doctrines of praying Jesus into our heart and once-saved-always-saved. The whole class: Answering Calvinism Entire Audio First and last parts in higher quality audio: Calvinism I Audio Calvinism IV...
Dr. John Oakes gave a sermon on Acts chapter 20 for the San Diego Church of Christ on 10/26/15. It focuses primarily on the farewell sermon of Paul to the Ephesian elders. The outline, power point and audio are attached. Acts Ch 20 sermon notes Acts Ch 20 sermon […]
Dr. John Oakes gave a public lecture on God and Science/Science and the Bible at the University of Connecticut 10/15/2015. The power point and audio are attached. God and Science PPT God and Science UConn Audio
Request: I need to understand the verse when Jesus said He will be at the right side of God. Response: Because God is not a physical being, I take this statement metaphorically. To be at the right hand means to be the chief support and second-in-command. A prince sits as the right hand of a […]
Question: I would like your perspective on the Hebrew Israelite faith (African Americans claiming Hebrew decent, specifically from the tribe of Judah). I will continue to dig deeper in my research, but was curious about your perspective, and how you would deal with someone like that. Thanks! Answer: I am not sure I understand the […]
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